CSOs comment on access conditions for EU fleets fishing outside FPAs

One issue CFFA and other NGOs insisted on in the context of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, was the need for the EU to ensure all its external fleets respect similar sustainability conditions, including those fishing outside FPAs and RFMOs. Such concern was taken into account in the reformed basic regulation, and the process is now advancing a step further with the revision of the Fishing Authorisations regulation (FAR). Prior to the publication of its review proposal, the EC has organised a consultation, for which Civil Society organisations active in the Long Distance Regional Advisory Committee (LDRAC) have sent joint preliminary comments 

 8 organisations, including NGOs (Bread For the World, CFFA, Danish Living Seas, Oceana, Seas At Risk, SSNC, WWF) and the trade union ETF insisted that the FAR should ensure that key sustainability rules agreed in the reformed CFP, - in particular the restoration of marine biological resources-, and those specified in binding international agreements, are implemented for all EU flagged vessels fishing outside EU waters. These organisations then make comments and proposals to address, in the FAR review process, the following specific issues: 

  • Abusive reflagging:

  • The lack of transparency in private arrangements:

  • The need to ensure that social legislation is properly applied:

  • The need to monitor private arrangements

  • Coherence and compliance with Control Regulation, IUU Regulation and Regulation on countries allowing unsustainable fishing

 

Read the full preliminary comments by the NGOs of the Fishing Authorizations Regulation